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Adult Bullies

Today, on LinkedIn, I found myself on a re-shared message where one month ago, someone had shared an experience in the world of recruitment. I read with interest and then went to make a comment and what I found astounded me.

It’s an eye-opener to see how many adults are bullying other adults online. I thought that adult-to-adult bullying was reserved for the non-professional world. Perhaps I’ve been unaware of the extent because I’ve had my head buried in the world of child abuse. What kind of example is this setting for our children?

To see how nasty some of the LinkedIn comments were shocked me – and for no good reason. Here is a bunch of people, who have their careers, contact details, current place of employment, and position in their company, wide open for people to see, and yet they bully very, very openly, and probably without penalty. Here is a place where people are representing companies they work for; where future employers can take information from; where it’s open to be scrutinised and as someone suggested doing: naming and shaming.

It seems that for some, the internet is just another playground for bullying in, where they can’t be “seen” and there is no way to get caught. I think there is as online comments can and have been used in court – even Facebook remarks which have been “deleted” but which were screenshot are admissible in disciplinaries, just as emails are considered legal tender in court.

Set the right example, Adults!

We need to make sure that we educate our children about these dangers and to bring them up to respect themselves as well as others. And where possible, to stop bullying where they see it happening; to show them the right way to communicate with people online because this behaviour by adults is unacceptable.

I’ve been in touch with the organisation AntiBullying and arranging for them to come to the South West. I’m now thinking that I should arrange for them to have a class for Adults as well as for Children.

To find out when the Anti-Bullying workshops will be in Bristol leave your details here: